Where did Laurel Burch Come From
Where did Laurel Burch Come From
Where did Laurel Burch come from is simple once you know the geographical location of where she was born and raised. She was born in southern California in the San Fernando Valley just outside of Los Angeles. This is where she grew up in the influence of sunny days all year round without even a hint of snowfall.
As with moist children, she went to the beach many times with her friends and family. Because of her rare bone disease, she was not always a participant in many of the beach activities, but she was able to enjoy the view of the ocean with the constant pounding of the waves on the shoreline. This was her home for the first 14 years of her life.
Laurel Burch was born on the last day of the year in 1945. This made her 14 years of age when the turbulent and influential 60’s came about. It was also a milestone in young Laurel’s life. As with many homes and the family life in them in that time, they were not very good or happy. To help Laurel to cope with the world she lived in, she decided that venturing out into the world alone was the course of action she should take.
In 1960, Laurel Burch did just that, leaving home with all of her worldly possessions. This included the few cloths she had that were packed into a paper bag from the grocery store. With no money, Laurel knew she would have to find food and shelter. This is why she would search out homes that could use help in babysitting, cooking and cleaning. She would exchange the doing of these chores for room and board with many families that themselves were not financially wealthy.
As time went on, her search for work leads her north. This was a slow process because of two reasons. First she would be delayed by working so she could eat. She also had no money so she had to walk most of the way. This was also the 60s and hitchhiking was becoming a mode of transportation for many youth. She would meet a wide variety of people in this fashion and they would leave an impression upon this young lady.
Once she arrived in San Francisco area, she made her way to the area of town where many of the flower children congregated. This is where the artist in Laurel came into full stride. Since she was young in the hospital beds recovering from broken bones, she would create items of beauty to help her pass the time and bring joy to those around her. In San Francisco, she began to again create items from the material she found lying around. This would be old coins, buttons, scraps of wire and metal she would find in her trips of walking around town.
Laurel Burch is one of the original and icons of the 1960s flower child movement. She was present in California for the entire time in the 60s and it made an impact on her. She also made an impact on it with her art work that to this day is still enjoyed my millions of people around the world.
by Douglas Gray
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